Our Community

OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD

In the 1980s, Balsall Heath was an infamous high-crime red light district, ignored by the council and police. The community led Balsall Heath Forum completely changed this: local residents helped stop crime and reclaimed the neighbourhood. Although the Forum is no more, our sense of civic pride continues, inspiring current visions for change.

Balsall Heath has 4,900 homes with 15,000 people, a diverse area that is in large part made up of cold, damp Victorian terraces - partly to blame for the worst Covid deaths in Birmingham.

Buildings are responsible for 49% of CO2 emissions in the UK. At least 90% of existing buildings need retrofit to meet UK zero carbon targets, cut bills and improve our neighbourhoods.

Local partners

There are several local driving forces behind Retrofit Balsall Heath. IFEES (Islamic Foundation for Ecology & Environmental Sciences) is one, founded in Balsall Heath 30 years ago, whose ground-breaking work within ecology and Islam is now internationally recognised.

The Sultan Bahu Trust is the only mosque globally with observer status at UN COP climate summits. MECC Trust is a local grassroots charity, helping the most vulnerable in the community, including energy advice.
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‍Al-Abbas Islamic Centre is the first mosque in the UK to become a Covid vaccination centre. Balsall Heath Church Centre has a strong community focus and was Birmingham's first solar church.

‍Fruit & Nut Village is a charity helping people to plant and grow food. Zero Carbon House is the UK’s first certified zero carbon retrofit home, generating more energy than it uses. BHIOP (Balsall Heath Is Our Planet) is a community initiative championing reduced environmental impact of all types.

‍Saheli Hub, pioneering women-only cycling, well-being and much more. These groups, together with many enthusiastic individuals, have initiated Retrofit Balsall Heath, and informed its unique community-led neighbourhood-based retrofit vision.